9
One evening when I came by, I found Theresa all alone in the store. The assistants had left for the day, and Tom, who had not been feeling well lately, had stayed home all day.
“You know, Harry, this might be a good chance for us to talk.”
I gave her a quizzical look, not sure what was coming next.
“Oh, don’t worry! It’s just something that I’ve wanted you to know. Let me start by asking if you’re familiar with the “Underground Railroad.’
“Of course! It was a network to help escaped slaves get themselves smuggled out of the South to their freedom in the North.”
“Well, when I volunteered to help draft dodgers – and even some military deserters – I met Tom. He was one of the organizers.”
“That doesn’t surprise me at all.”
“You really like him, don’t you?”
“You know I do! He’s fun, he’s modest, he has great ideals, and he’s even almost as good-looking as I am! What’s not to like?”
She gave me a playful jab in the arm. I pretended to double over in pain.
“You know, Harry, there might be a future for you in professional wrestling.”
“Seriously, Theresa, Tom has been leading an amazing life. If the Feds had known even a fraction of the shit he’s done, they’d have given him the electric chair.
“By the way, there’s something I need to tell you.”
I could see that she was very curious.
“You know, when I first laid eyes on him, my first thought was –
“How could she go for such an old guy?”
We both smiled.
“Right! And now I know!”
“I believe you do, Harry! Still, I want you to know what Tom and I did, not all that long ago, working on the modern-day Underground Railroad.”
I waited, watching her gather her thoughts.
“Tom’s main job, besides planning and organizing many of our operations, was driving to the Canadian border with a couple of young men who were his ‘nephews.’ They were ostensibly on the way to a family birthday party or maybe a wedding. Tom would vary the routine, sometimes heading for Toronto, Montreal, or even Vancouver. Remember that even a few years ago, the customs officials of both countries did not use computers, which might have helped them keep better track of who crossed the border lately.”
“And what was your job?”
“Would you believe it was that of the blushing bride.”
“You’re putting me on! “
“Moi?”
“Yeah, vous!”
“Harry, I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve gotten married – not to mention how many times I’ve seen Niagara Falls, for that matter.”
“So, it would be fair to assume that you and Tom did not go there on your honeymoon.”
“That would indeed be a fair assumption.”
“Did you or Tom ever have any close calls?”
“Probably. You could never be sure. When the young men were asked to show their draft cards, that was kind of a tip-off. On the other hand, it was probably just a random thing they did.”
“I would have been scared shitless!”
“Hey, Tom and I both were. The thing was, of course, that if either of us got caught, we’d have been facing long prison sentences. Tom kidded me about that, saying that he probably didn’t have all that long to live anyway.”
“Lovely.”
